Turning his mind that direction meant accepting the possibility that this child was his, but every time that thought snuck in, a hot strike of panic rattled him to the core. Zach blew out a hard breath and pulled at his shirt to get air on his sweaty skin.
“That might be asking too much,” Josh said. “We should start by trying to disprove some of this evidence, investigate her background, and find out what’s what. If she’s not telling the truth, it’ll come out pretty quick. That would help us figure out what she really wants.”
“I like the sound of that,” Zach said.
“She told him what she wants,” Grace said. “Nothing. I understand you’re looking for a scam because this is a sudden shock, but she’s not asking for anything. In fact, signing these papers would take him off the hook for all responsibility. She wants to adopt the girl. And, Zach, I know you’re not going to like hearing this, but you and Ian really do look a lot alike. She might have made an innocent mistake.”
“You’re right. I don’t like the sound of that,” he told her.
“I think that’s because you haven’t thought this through all the way down the line. How would you take care of a three-year-old girl? With your schedule? Your traveling? You don’t even talk to your family, you’re not married, you’re not steadily involved with anyone. Think about how taking on responsibility for her would change your life. And her life.” Grace sat back and looked over the papers again. “Sorry, guys, with what I see right here, I’m leaning toward believing Tessa.”
Fuck me. Fuck me. “Fuck me.”
Josh looked at his wife. “What about the mother? However this check happened, the fact is she took twenty-five grand and walked away. If he was the father, don’t you think she’d have stuck around and fought for more? For regular child support?”
“She had cancer,” Grace said. “When she slept with Zach, he was nothing but a hot surfer dude.”
“Hot surfer dude in the hall of fame,” he added.
“Okay, a hot surfer dude with a little street cred,” she amended sarcastically, like his award meant little to nothing, which in this case he had to agree was pretty accurate. “Which would be the bigger dragon to slay? Getting cash to help with medical care, or trying to track down this surfing gypsy to tap the change in his pocket?”
“Hey, I’m not hand-to-mouth,” Zach said. Then amended, “Not yet.”
“Stop thinking about this like a scam,” she told them, “and look at the story she’s presented at face value for a second. You’ve got a new single mother who finds out she’s going to die. If she doesn’t have any close relatives to depend on, it only makes sense that she’d seek out the father to give that child some roots.”
Zach’s stomach surged with anguish. He rubbed his eyes and heaved a shaky breath. “Shit.”
“Imagine how she’d feel if she got a big ‘No thanks’ and someone threw money at her?”
“But I didn’t—” Zach started.
“Zach, I know you wouldn’t do that. But right now, that check looks like it came from your bank account. If she had cancer, she probably wasn’t working. I don’t know what DC’s disability system is like, but California’s sucks. She wouldn’t have been getting much. I seriously doubt it was enough to support herself and a child. And who knows what kinds of expenses she had. One of my clients started stripping because her husband’s cancer treatment drove them into bankruptcy. If Tessa’s story is true, I’d bet she’s been shouldering this responsibility with Corinne and Sophia. Which would explain why she wants to adopt the girl.”
All these possibilities made Zach sick with guilt and fear. He wiped one hand down his face and waved at Grace with the other. “Stop, stop. I think I’m gonna puke.”
He dropped to a seat on the edge of a chair, propped his elbows on his knees, and covered his face with both hands.
“How well do you know Marshall?” Josh asked. “I know he’s been your agent for several years, but does he have this in him?” He gestured to the photocopy of the cashier’s check. “Did you ever notice money missing from your payments?”
“He’s always been great. He’s gotten me good gigs—all kinds of photo shoots, article ops, endorsements, even some modeling gigs that I hated but kept my lights on. Everything goes through him. He tells me the terms offered, the pay, and I say yes or no. He handles the paperwork; I sign on the dotted line and do the work. He gets payment from the client, takes his cut, and deposits the rest in my account. I’ll admit to having a pretty lousy business side, but I’ve never noticed any discrepancies, and I’ve never had a reason to question him.”
Josh’s brow was pulled in a tight frown as he studied the photocopy of the check. He cast a look at Grace, and they did that silent communication thing.
“What?” Zach asked. “Tell me what you’re thinking.”
They both looked at him. Josh was the first to speak. “Sounds to me like Marshall has a lot of power over your finances and your career.”
“He’s the one who’s gotten me where I am. I could never have picked up some of the gigs he’s found for me. He’s negotiated great contracts.”
“And he benefits from every one,” Grace said.
Zach pushed to his feet and started pacing again. His stomach ached. “Holy fuck.” Now he was facing the possibility of an embezzling agent and insta-fatherhood. “What the hell am I going to do?”
No one answered for a long moment. Zach’s heart had to be triple-timing when Josh finally said, “You’re going to leave these documents with me, and I’m going to dig.”
Zach tented his hands over his mouth. This was going to kill him before an answer materialized. He was sure of it.
Josh looked at Grace. “And I’m going to call Ellen.”